Hagakure
by Tsunetomo Yamamoto · first published 1980
33% recommend56% neutral11% critical
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…The Art of Maneuver: Maneuver-Warfare Theory and AirLand Battle by Robert Leonhard 6. Strategy: Second Revised Edition (Meridian) by B. H. Liddell Hart 7. The Art of War by Niccolò Machiavelli 8. Hagakure: The Book of the Samauri by Tsunetomo Yamamoto 9. The Emperor's Handbook: A New Translation of The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 10. The Art of War (Shambhala classics) by Sun Tzu 11. The Prince…
on “Ask HN: good books about military strategy?” ↗Hagakure - Yamamoto Tsunetomo Kind of the ethical codex for samurai warriors. Little stories about what to do and not to do which you can translate to a modern daily life.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books of all time, and why?” ↗…death makes life unworthy by definition. Although that opinion might be incomprehensible for some cultures. I can't think of anything that would explain that opinion clearly enough, but you could read Hagakure anyway.
on “Graduate student takes a problem-solving approach to his brain cancer” ↗Hagakure and Mishima, at least that's the direct translation of the ex-yu title. The book is amazing, dragging you into a world of proper spiritual and personal behavior worthy of a samurai. Read it as a kid and…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've read that few others have?” ↗Bunch of Eastern stuff...Hagakure, Book of 5 rings, art of war, tao te ching Subtle art of not giving a fuck, The art of happiness But the one book I always keep...The boy scout handbook
on “Ask HN: What books have most influenced the way you see the world?” ↗Side point, there is a book Hagakure (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagakure) which is collected comments of a samurai during the end of this samurai/retainer period for Japan. This passage stuck with me and talks about overcoming fear of…
on “Ask HN: How to overcome fear of flying?” ↗…mentioned, military histories rather than specific strategy/tactics books. So, Tacitus, Xenophon, Thucydides, etc. Another one I really like and think is underrated (because it does have many flaws) is the Hagakure. I could go on. For example, when thinking about the changing landscape of warfare and politics in a nuclear age, I think you can't find a better book than "The Shield of Achilles" by Phillip Bobbit…
on “What we get wrong about Machiavelli” ↗Thank you, that’s very kind to say. So many good books in this thread already. I could suggest though: Hagakure - Yamamoto Tsunetomo Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind - Shunryu Suzuk For something lighter I like anything by William Gibson or Neal Stephenson. The Quicksilver trilogy is great as is Anatheme.
on “Ask HN: What is one book you would recommend everyone to read?” ↗Once upon a time I watched Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog and fell in love with the theme, aesthetic, and philosophy. The underpinning text is the Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, with which the 14-year-old me became obsessed. After briefly reigniting my interest when reading a book by Yukio Mishima, I had a hazy idea of an infinite-scrolling Hagakure.…
on “Show HN: Infinite Hagakure” ↗…that and depends a lot on the cultural norms and the specific manifestation of loyalty. A good example would be the common misconception of the Samurai ethos in Western circles. Many people cite the Hagakure [0] and Bushido [1] like they are some kinds of manuals for a bad-ass Samurai making their own way through strong principles, perfectly fitting the pop-culture depictions. When in reality, these books…
on “Hachikō” ↗This is what the Hagakure (book of the Samurai) says about this [1]: "In Yui Shosetsu’s military instructions, “The Way of the Three Ultimates,” there is a passage on the character of karma. He received an oral teaching of about…
on “Study: Students who take notes by hand outperform students who type” ↗Fun (though unverifiable) fact: No one reads Inazo Nitobe, or that "Hagakure" thing in today's Japan. It looks like these are mostly for Westerner's consumption. "Bushido" today is often taken as some weird/quaint moral code that is often depicted comically. It could be interesting…
on “Bushido: Way of Total Bullshit” ↗…story of Joseph from the Bible had influence on Kaladin's character (Sanderson is a Christian). And Dalinar's character has me thinking about re-reading texts such as Meditations by Marcus Aurelius & Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo. These early assessments might be very wrong as I'm still early in the series, but the book definitely has me feeling inspired and motivated thus far.
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life?” ↗…while, and they were essentially warrior-bureaucrats. As a counterpoint to what I just said, the original Bushido code was codified by a ronin, and the most recent literary work on the Bushido code, the Hagakure was written when the Japanese warrior class was already on their way out ... and the author thought the greatest shame was to meet his death in soiled underwear. Like any career path in any culture,…
on “The world's most toxic value system” ↗You want your programmers to be terribly self-contradictory? (from someone that had to read 'Hagakure' last year)
on “Please... No rockstars” ↗